Can Lots of Sex Actually Make You Unhappy?

According to a new study, frequent sex can have a negative impact on your mood.

A new study by Carnegie Mellon University and published in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization found that too much sex can actually be a bad thing, Fusion reports. Couples that had 40 percent more sex actually reported decreases in their overall happiness and mood.

Researchers studied 64 married couples and split them into two groups: one was told to double the amount of sex they had every week for three months, and the other wasn't given any instructions. At the end of the three-month period, couples filled out a survey about their sex habits and happiness. It turns out that sexual enjoyment is tied to happiness, but sexual frequency is not. The couples that were having more sex also reported an overall sense of fatigue.

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Now, keep in mind that this was a situation in which couples were effectively forced to have more sex, so treating it like a chore can suck all the fun out of it. Couples also struggled to actually double the amount of sex they had, hitting only about 40 percent more. Researchers think not meeting their goal could also make the sex feel less fun.

But the study does show that sex is less about quantity and more about quality, since sexual enjoyment tended to have a huge impact on happiness. So don't worry about have sex every day; just make sure when you and your partner do have sex, you make it count.